Flower Power
by Emma Raye
Summary: Ino has always loved two things: Flowers and Sakura. She finally tries to tell Sakura, but, well, things don't always go as planned. [Entry for fanofthisfiction's 2019 Show Me the Love Challenge]


Hospital, hospital, something about another doctor misdiagnosing, stressful situation, throw in a head nod, and a hum for good measure. It wasn't hard to ignore Sakura, especially after years of practice. Because when you're in love with your best friend, ignoring her is really the only option.

"-so yeah. What's going on with you?"

Ino shrugged, finally bringing her attention back from the window to her best friend. "Not much, just training, missions. The works, you know. With the war over -"

"What is wrong with you?" Sakura's eyes narrowed and Ino felt her lips purse purely on instinct.

"What do you mean what's wrong with me?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and Ino found herself fixated on just how green they were in the light. Is you looked closely enough they were a mix of flecks of light and dark green, but she didn't bother to point that out to Sakura.

"Nevermind." Ino rolled her eyes back, just for good measure. It was probably for the best they stayed friends. Sakura was so tempermental anyway. "The thing is, you've basically ignored me lately even when we're together. If something's wrong, just say it."

"Nothing is wrong, forehead."

"Don't call me -" Ino stood up and laughed, placing money on the table.

"I've got to get back to the flower shop!" Ino relished in the split second of a pout that flashed across Sakura's face before she turned to walk out of the tea shop. She knew better than to stare.

* * *

"She likes you." Shikamaru placed a vase down, and putting a few flowers in a bouquet. They didn't match or accent each other at _all._ Roses and orchids, in a bouquet? Christ.

Ino shook her head, pushed Shikamaru out of the way and removing the offending flowers. "She doesn't even know I like girls, let alone her."

"Ino, everyone knows you like girls." Ino glared up at Shikamaru, who had made his way over to the chair behind the register.

"They do not, and I'm not paying you to sit around. Water the plants or something."

"You're not paying me at all," Shikamaru groaned, but slid off the chair and grabbed the watering can regardless. After both their father's passed away, Shikamaru had taken up helping Ino run the shop and she'd taken to bringing him feed for his deer. They didn't really say anything about it, it had just become part of their routine.

"Plus, how do you know _she's_ into girls anyway? Let alone me." Ino's mouth ran dry at asking that because maybe, just maybe there was hope. She'd given up on Sakura years ago. Sakura was in love with Sasuke. That was a fact. She would always been in love with Sasuke and there wasn't a thing Ino could do about it.

"Naruto said."

"Very reliable."

"Ino."

"What? Naruto isn't exactly known for being the brightest -"

"Ask her out or don't. I don't care, just stop complaining about it."

Ino glared up at him. "That's really rich coming from -" Shikamaru's gaze stopped her in her tracks. " _Fine._ But if she says no and I suddenly have no friends because I'm the girl who asked her best friend on a date like a weirdo, I'm taking you down with me."

Shikamaru sighed a long sigh before placing down the watering can and rustling through his pocket. "You drive me to smoke, I'll be out back."

* * *

Ino went through the flowers in the bouquet again. Yellow acadias and gardenias, both representing secret love. She switched the placements several time, and eventually settled with a yellow bow to tie around the wrapping. She she finished the knot, the door chimed and she peaked up to see pink locks blowing in with the rest of the wind.

"Hey there. Mind if I put my own bouquet together?"

"Of course, yeah," Ino immediately brought the bouquet below the counter. "I'm just gonna be in back watering some of the plants, let me know when you're ready."

Ino practically flew tossing the flowers down and occupying herself with checking on the temperamental arrangements in the cooler. Someone had ordered a giant arrangement and was late to pick it up. It wasn't about to her fault when it died because she moved her date back.

"Hey -"

"Oh my god!" Ino flew about ten feet in the air before turning. "What the hell!"

Sakura laughed, scratching the back of her head. "I'm ready."

"Gosh, have to scare me half to death to let me know." Ino felt her face heating as she headed back toward the front of the store. She furrowed her brow at the two bouquets on the counter.

"Who are these for?"

"Sasuke!" Sakura chirped, rustling around in her coin purse.

"Both of them?" Ino looked at the contents, one was forget-me-nots and pink carnations in one - ugly, really - so it was a remembrance bouquet. The other was, it was gorgeous. Sakura typically put together ugly bouquets, but Ino had long since accepted that fact.

But this was beautiful - mainly red tulips, there was greenery in all the right places. It was simple, elegant and stunning. Also tulips were her _favorite._

"Yeah, you know, he's leaving and red for Uchiha," Sakura laughed and Ino narrowed her eyes at the way Sakura definitely didn't mean that laugh and Sakura knew what flowers meant. Red tulips specifically were romantic and she wasn't dumb enough to give them away willy nilly.

"Why don't you put them together? Sasuke would hate having two bouquets."

"Oh, uh yeah! That makes sense, we'll do that, yeah."

Ino pursed her lips as she plucked apart the bouquet, taking extra care with the tulips. Sasuke didn't deserve such beautiful flowers, he also didn't deserve such a beautiful person to care so much about him. He'd never return her affections, but here she was making him two bouquets.

* * *

The way home was warm with the spring dwindling into summer. Ino squinted up at the sun, enjoying the warmth on her body. As she blinked down, she saw a small bit of a pink walking down toward her with a bouquet.

A single bouquet with bits of greenery in strange spots, forget me nots, and pink carnations. There were no tulips any longer, and most of the greenery had been taken out, save for the stray pieces sticking out.

"Sakura?" Sakura's head flew up and her eyes opened wide, She pulled the flowers close to her chest.

"Ino! Uh - hey! I have to get -"

"What happened to the tulips?" Sakura shrugged and Ino took the bouquet, beginning to remove the stray pieces of greenery left behind. "And this greenery does not look good with it."

"It looks fine!"

Ino glanced up and shook her head. "It really doesn't. The whole bouquet is a little off, really. Blue and pink aren't the best colors together, especially once you throw in green."

"It's the meaning behind them! And _you're_ the one that taught me that." Sakura pursed her lips together and found herself far too focused on the lips themselves and her flustered demeanor than most of what was coming out of her mouth.

"You didn't seem to have any issue with the tulips," Ino snipped before she could catch herself. She went to open her mouth and apologize, but she wasn't sorry, so she snapped her mouth back shut.

"Well the tulips were for something else, I have to go." Sakura brushed past her, electricity jumping between their arms as she brushed by and hurried off toward the gates.

Ino felt her chest tighten at the mention of the tulips being for someone other than Sasuke, but brushed it off and headed on her way.

* * *

Ino let down her ponytail and massaged her fingers into her scalp as she walked in the door. Some people talked about taking off their bra as the ultimate relief, but they clearly had never had a five pound ponytail swinging around all day.

She filled a kettle with water, placing it on the stove. Tea didn't really make sense considering it was more than warm enough outside, but it was habit at this point. She sat on the couch, making herself at home with a book. This was fine. Alone, peaceful, it was perfect.

And then there was knock on the door, jarring her out of the zone. "Coming," She yelled, untucking herself from the blankets.

She opened to the door and her stomach dropped, and the tea kettle wheezed as if it knew the dramatic was necessary.

"Sakura?"

Ino eyed the bouquet in her hands. Red tulips. She glanced down at them, lost for words for what was probably the first time since she was seven.

"I didn't want you to know, right away. And Shikamaru helped me pick them out. I also know this is weird and sudden and it's okay if you don't -"

"What are you saying?" Ino could barely hear herself, and was honestly surprised when Sakura stopped. Her green eyes, so wide and gorgeous, connected with hers and Ino was sure she could die right here and now, thankful her last sight was this.

"I know we're friends, and it may be weird, but would you want to get dinner?"

"Dinner? You mean, like a date?"

Sakura nodded and Ino felt her hand move on it's own, intertwining with pink locks. Ino's eyes didn't leave hers until they fluttered shut, just before their lips met. Sakura gasped and Ino relished in the small puff of air before her lips met hers. Sakura's fingers traced along Ino's palm before their fingers interlaced, and she squeezed.

Sakura broke the kiss first, but kept their foreheads together.

"So, is that a yes?"

Ino smiled, pulling Sakura's body even closer.

"I think I'd that'd be nice."

* * *

A/N: Whew, this guy is finally done! I know it's a little clunky, but I liked the concept so I went with it. Thanks to fanofthisfiction for hosting the 2019 Show Me The Love Challenge! I cannot wait to read all the other stories posted, and you should too!

Thanks for reading :)


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